Cape Town - The father of honeymoon murder victim Anni Hindocha is recovering in hospital after his right arm was ripped off in an elevator accident.
Vinod Hindocha, who works as an engineer in Sweden, was fixing the lift on March 3 when the chain slipped and it began hurtling towards the ground, said his brother Ashok.
“He said he must’ve had his arm outside of the lift when it dropped.”
The limb was severed between the elbow and shoulder, left behind somewhere on the first floor as the lift crashed to a stop.
Vinod, 65, was flown to a hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, where surgeons spent over 18 hours reattaching the severed arm.
“He’s still in hospital,” said Ashok on Wednesday morning. “I spoke to him yesterday.”
There is a long road of recovery ahead of him. While he has regained some movement in the limb since last week, it will take up to 18 months for the majority of the nerves to grow back, said Ashok.
“There is no justice in this world, why must bad things happen to such good people.”
Just last year, Vinod Hindocha was devastated when Shrien Dewani, charged with orchestrating the death of Anni while the pair were on honeymoon in Cape Town, was acquitted of all charges in December.
Vinod had hoped the court case would end four years of “torture” as he and his family sought out the truth behind Anni’s death.
Ashok said this was just the latest blow for the family but he said Vinod would not give up.
“He is a fighter, always has been a fighter.”
Vinod’s wife Nilam, 64, now in remission from stomach cancer, had travelled with her husband and had gone shopping while he repaired the faulty lift.
She had been waiting for him when she received word of the accident.
Ashok said the family were in shock but were there to help Vinod through his recovery.
Cape Argus